Interest Groups

Participating in Interest Groups

In
the American political system, there are a wide variety of interest groups
that are organized for the sole purpose of exerting influence on the
political and legal systems. These groups play a central role in deciding
who gets what, when, where and how in legislative and budget processes.
They also play a significant role in deciding which values will be promoted
and enforced by the government.

Why Do Groups Form?

When
individuals have common interests, it often makes sense for them to join
together in pursuit of those interests. When this happens, a special
interest group is formed. These groups then compete for a share of the
limited resources distributed through the political process.

While
many groups are formed to compete for economic resources, others are
formed to support their positions on issues like abortion and gun control.
The limited resource these groups compete for is not money or real estate
but rather the use of governmental power to enforce a particular set
of values.

Why Do People Join Groups?

At
the group level, it makes sense for groups to form and do the things
they do. However, at the individual level, there are powerful incentives
to be a free rider. If a group is pursuing your interests even though
you, as an individual, are not contributing your time or your money to
the group, what incentive do you have to contribute time or money to
the group's efforts?

Some
people join groups because they are strongly motivated by the group's
goals or, perhaps, they believe they can exercise power within the group
that they would not otherwise have. Groups also entice people to join
them by offering group benefits or even by punishing those who do not
join.

Examples
of group benefits include travel and insurance discounts, such as those
available to members of the American
Association of Retired Persons (AARP). Other groups, like the Sierra
Club, send members calendars or other inexpensive but attractive
rewards for group membership. The most common form of "punishment" is
to deny those who do not join a group the ability to work in a particular
profession. Unions accomplish this by supporting"closed shops" that only
employ union members. Professional associations, such as the American
Bar Association (ABA), license their members to practice their professions.
Membership is a prerequisite to working in these professions.

Are All Groups Created Equal?

While
there are thousands and thousands of groups in the American political
system, not all groups are created equal. In fact, groups vary widely
in their size, goals, unity, resources and influence. These differences
are often interrelated. A group's size and resources depend on how attractive
the group's goals are to potential group members and contributors. Group
unity depends on how strongly and uniformly group members feel about
the group's goals. A group's influence, in turn, depends on its size,
unity and resources.

A
relatively large, highly unified group with ample resources, such as
the American Medical
Association (AMA), can exert a significant amount of influence on
the policy process. A less unified but larger group, also with significant
resources, such as the AARP can also be influential. In contrast, groups
that are small, those with fewer resources and those that lack unity
are less likely to be effective in the political process.

Kinds of Interest Groups

There
are several different kinds of interest groups in the American political
system. Some of the most common types include:

Economic
Groups Groups with a primarily economic focus include business
and trade associations such as the National Florists Association,
the National Association
of Home Builders, the National Beer Wholesalers Association and
professional associations for doctors, dentists and lawyers. Some
economic "groups" consist of a single member, generally a large corporation
such as Union Pacific or General
Motors (and, presumably, its employees).

Public
Interest Groups Some groups exist for the express purpose of
pursuing public interests that would not otherwise be pursued. Examples
of such groups include Common
Cause, which seeks campaign finance reform, and Public
Citizen, a broad consumer advocacy group.

Labor
Unions Unions are generally formed to provide laborers with the
power of collective bargaining against the strength of businesses
and corporations. Unions also tend to be heavily involved in the
political process. Prominent, politically active labor unions include
the AFL-CIO and
the International
Brotherhood of Teamsters.

What Do Groups Do?

Interest
groups attempt to influence public policy in a variety of ways. They
try to influence the membership of Congress and who becomes President
by giving money to political candidates. Interest groups cannot give
money directly to candidates in federal elections--they must form political
action committees or PACs. When an interest group's PAC gives money to
a candidate, they hope to help elect someone who is favorable to their
cause. After the election, they hope to be able to have access to and
work effectively with the people they supported. (Because PAC contributions
are limited to $5,000 and congressional campaigns generally cost hundreds
of thousands of dollars, it is inaccurate to suggest that any one campaign
contribution "buys" a vote.)

Interest
groups also organize lobbying efforts to persuade members of Congress
to support or oppose particular pieces of legislation. They also organize
group members and mobilize them to influence the Congress. Group members
will often try to "flood" Capitol Hill with letters, phone calls, or
e-mail messages from their members.

Terms & Concepts

free
rider An
individual who does not contribute to or participate in a group
but nonetheless benefits from the existence and activities of the
group.

group
benefits Incentives,
e.g. mementos (calendars, mugs, etc.) or financial benefits (insurance
discounts, etc.), given to people who join a group. These benefits
are often unrelated to the primary purposes and goals of the group.

interest
group Group
of individuals who share common goals or objectives which the group
is organized to pursue.

lobbying The
practice of talking with members of Congress to persuade them to
support a particular position or pieced of legislation. Often conducted
in the "lobbies" just off the House and Senate chambers.

political
action committee (PAC) The
officially registered arm of an interest group authorized to contribute
money to candidates in federal elections.

Think About It

Are
interest groups good or bad for American politics?

Can
you think of an interest or set of interests that are not adequately
represented by an organized group or groups?